


A Work In Progress

by worthy_of_the_shield



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-05-31 21:56:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6488947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worthy_of_the_shield/pseuds/worthy_of_the_shield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why hadn't he gone with his previous plan of sit on the stool and pray to Wizard God that he’d be put in Gryffindor? But noooo, his dad had gotten all emotional on Platform nine and three quarters, so he’s sat on the stool and decided to just let fate happen.<br/>Freaking fate.</p><p>Albus Potter had always been the black sheep of the family. Having the worst name, being in Slytherin, accidentally making friends with Scorpius Malfoy, etc.<br/>But his family legacy still looms over him, though you'd think he'd be over it by now. He feels like a stranger in his own family and the only person whom he can trust with everything in the one person his family can't stand.<br/>Through his time at Hogwarts his loyalties will be tested to the max. Does he side with his family, the people he loves and grew up with or with the only people and the one place where he feels he truly belongs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first Harry Potter fic! I'm not sure how long this will be, but I'm thinking about ten chapters.  
> Please kudos and review anything you loved or hated!

1st Year Slytherin Dorm- 00:12- 2nd September 2016

Now he’d done it. He’d really gone and done it now, hadn’t he? Why hadn’t he gone with his previous plan of sit on the stool and pray to Wizard God that he’d be put in Gryffindor? But noooo, his dad had gotten all emotional on Platform nine and three quarters, so he’s sat on the stool and decided to just let fate happen.

Freaking fate.

“Are you ok?” Albus looked to the side to see the hangings on the neighbouring bed be drawn back. A boy was looking at him with a concerned look on his face. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Albus realised that he must have been groaning with self-pity.

“What’s wrong?” Albus gaped at him. Seriously? Who actually after confirming that the boy groaning on his bed and hitting his head repeatedly with a pillow wasn’t having some sort of panic attack, then proceeds to actually ask them what the problem is? Did this kid not having any idea how awkward British social protocol worked?

Albus then realised that the boy had started talking again. “- guessing that you didn’t want to be in Slytherin. I mean I didn’t particularly want to be in Slytherin, but my whole family was in Slytherin so… you know. I mean no one wants to be in Slytherin anymore, not since the second wizarding war, but it’s not the end of the World is it?” And geez he was still going! “Though I suppose it’s different for each person, depending on how their family’s going to react. I mean I doubt my mum would mind, but my dad would probably have some sort of underlying disappointed air around him if I ended up in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor…” he trailed off.

“Well, my whole family was in Gryffindor. Is in Gryffindor. Will be in Gryffindor. I’m just worried how everyone’s going to react to this,” he voiced his concern.

“You can imagine the scandal, ‘Harry Potter’s Son in Slytherin: Will the next evil Potter must defeat come from his own son?’ Let’s hope Rita Skeeter never finds out about this!”

He noticed Albus’ look of shock.

“Oh come on, you seriously though I wouldn’t know who you were? Even after the sorting?”

Albus gave another groan of despair. “Oh, don’t remind me! Everyone was just staring at me and no one clapped, apart from this one loner and then everyone just started muttering…”

“I was there at the time you know. And I was the loner who clapped…” Scopius revealed.

“Oh,” Albus cringed. “Sorry, I didn’t realise.”

“It’s ok. I thought that people would’ve happy that Slytherin had gained an actually genuinely good person.”

“What makes you think I’m a good person?” he questioned.

“Are you kidding? You’re the product of a Potter and a Weasley. You wouldn’t be any gooder if you were… I dunno, Jesus!”

For a moment neither of them talked.

“You know gooder isn’t a word,” Albus muttered.

He smirked. “Good night Albus. And don’t worry about your family. They’ll come around. You’ll see.”

“I know,” Albus sighed lying back down on the bed.

“We’re,” he paused seeming nervous. “We’re mates now, right?”

“Oh! Umm… yeah, yeah totally. Err, what’s your name?”

Albus tipped his face to look at the boy to see that he had leaned forward and was now basked in moonlight. His eyes grew wide as they fell on the oh-so-familiar blonde locks framing his head. ‘Don’t get too close to him, Rosie. Grandad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood.’ 

“Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy.”


	2. Being the Black Sheep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had already sunk deep into ‘black sheep’ territories. It was him and Scott Disick against the world! Geez he needed to stop watching those muggle shows with Lily…

Slytherin table in the Great Hall- 7:43- 2nd September 2016

“Hey! Did you manage to get enough sleep last night?” Albus raised an eyebrow at Scorpius after his question. He had thought that the fact that he looked ready to fall asleep in his Cheerios had been enough evidence to suggest his lack of sleep. After Scorpius had gone back to sleep, Albus had spent the rest of his night obsessing over being in Slytherin, having to face his brother and cousins about being in Slytherin and how he’d managed to become ‘mates’ with Scorpius Malfoy, the worst person to become friends with.

He was already the black sheep of the family, what with being naturally shy and introverted and not having a natural interest and love for Quidditch. He still enjoyed it and did have a natural talent for riding a broomstick, but he just didn’t find himself shouting at the radio during a match or particularly caring about the World Cup. He also had the worst name in the family, including all his family member who had the last name ‘Weasley’. He didn’t care that Severus was ’the bravest man I’d ever known’ (Harry Potter 2016) or that he was in love with his grandmother or whatever, it didn’t justify being named after the most controversial man of the late nineties and being stuck with the name ‘Albus Severus’. All this, coupled with the time when he was eight and his parents told him about Voldemort and he said ‘well, maybe he had the right idea, but just went about it the wrong way’, meant that he had already sunk deep into ‘black sheep’ territories. It was him and Scott Disick against the world! Geez he needed to stop watching those muggle shows with Lily…

Breakfast continued and Albus managed to not face plant in his breakfast. Then the post came and a snowy owl came and flew over to Albus, landing next to him for a second to deposit a letter (which landed in his cereal bowl), before flying over to the Gryffindor table to see James, even though he didn’t actually have any letters for him.

“Even my family owl resents me!” Albus exclaimed. Scorpius fished the letter out of the bowl and shook it a bit to get the pieces of soggy cheerios off, before handing it too him.

“It’s probably my parents telling me that I haven’t been disowned for being in Slytherin,” Albus sighed and opened it. “Yep, apparently they are oh so proud of me. James must’ve sent them a letter last night.”

“At least they’re being positive, it’ll be alright,” Scorpius tried to reassure him.

“Yeah, I know. Honestly, I’m more worried about my brother… and my cousins.”

***

Flying lesson- 2:23- 5th September 2016

“You’re doing it wrong…”

“What? No, I’m not. This is how dad taught me to do it!”

“Well then he’s doing it wrong too… This is how my mum and dad taught me.”

“How come your parents are automatically right?”

“Because they’re the better Quidditch players! I mean no offense, but dad was probably the best seeker this school had ever seen, and you know it. And my mum played for the Holyhead Harpies before she had James.”

“How does that make a difference on the way we were each taught to grip our broomsticks?! I’m not wrong.”

“In Albus’ defence you are doing it wrong.”

“Thank you, Rose.”

“No one asked your opinion Weasley!” 

“What? He’s right! That’s how my dad taught me too.”

“Look maybe they’re all doing it wrong and that’s why they’re so good! Technically, that’s giving them an unfair advantage!”

“…”

“…”

“Look, I’m not doing it wrong! This is just how it’s always felt comfortable to do it.”

“That doesn’t make it right!”

“Look does this really matter?”

“YES!”

“YES!”

“…”

“Look, Scorp, mate. Just admit that your wrong and we’ll never speak of this again!”

“I can bloody well hold my broomstick as I like Al, why does it matter to you anyway?”

“It… it just stresses me out that I know that your grip’s wrong. It’s like when you leave the house and you realise that you’ve left a window open and it’s all you can think about all day, you know?”

“No.”

“No, but mum gets like that all the time, drives dad mad when she leaves the house and all she does is talk about what she’s forgotten, as though it’ll cause some life-changing event.”

“…”

“…”

“Oh, c’mon Al, you’ve met my mum, you know how she can become obsessive over stuff.”

“You guys have a really weird family…”

“Well when you’re part Weasley and have about twenty close family members, it just does stuff to you.”

“Anyway, Scorp, if you could just move right hand on top and curve it round about twenty degrees…”

“Merlin, Al let go of my hand, and why are your hands so cold?!”

“I know right? They’re bloody freezing!”

“Look, disclosing the discussion of my hands… there that’s better!”

“How do you fly like this? Don’t you get cramp every five seconds?”

“That’s the correct way to do it!”

“My hands are already aching!”

“But it’ll definitely improve your flying performance and means that I will be able to sleep better tonight.”

“What? Knowing that I now grip my broom in the wrong way?”

“It’s not wrong and… yes, exactly.”


	3. The World Finds Out

Charms- 11:30am- 28th October 2016

“How are you not in Ravenclaw?” Albus questioned as he watched Scorpius’ feather bob around the ceiling. He’d been the first one in the class to master to levitation charm, even before Rose, which Albus sorely hoped that she did not choose to write to Uncle Ron about.

Scorpius shrugged. “I don’t think I’m wise enough, you know? I don’t spend my time thinking philosophically. I doubt I could answer any of those questions you need to get into the common room. I prefer methodical, scientific, practical thinking, rather than deep meaning stuff.”

He turned and flashed him a grin, which Albus couldn’t help but grin back to. There was something about the other boys… energy, his atmosphere, that just reeked of positivity. It was infectious. But it was nice. It was a nice change to James’ teasing or Lily’s sullenness. Even Rose, like Albus, was a naturally rather negative person.

“Come on,” Scorpius nudged him. “Your turn. Remember swish-and-flick. Oh, and stress on the ‘oh’, yeah?”

Albus nodded, looking nervous. He took a breath, raised his wand and brought it down in a swishing motion. “Wingardium Leviosa!”

His feather shuddered before rising about ten centimetres above the desk. Albus concentrated and rose his wand a bit higher, keeping it trained on the feather.

“See, you can do it, it just takes a little practice,” Scorpius said, confidently. Albus looked up at his feather and grinned, basking in the feeling of accomplishment.

 

***

 

Slytherin Table- 7:23am- 1st November 2016

“Err, Al? You might want to see this…” Albus looked up from his most recent letter from his Grandmother (the general ‘how are you doing?’, ‘we’re doing great’ and ‘your grandfather hasn’t had a stroke after learning you were friends with a Malfoy’ type of letter) with a piece of toast clenched between his teeth, to see Darren, a fellow first year Slytherin, holding out a copy of the Daily Prophet. He put his letter on his lap and took a bite of the toast, before leaning over and grabbing the newspaper.

He knew from experience that any article concerning him could be anything from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes burning down (where will the Potter and Weasley family get there laughs from now), to rumours about his Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione getting a divorce (for it won’t be just the children, but the nieces and nephews who are affected), to what new flavour of lip-balm Victoire would be releasing for her make-up line (such a successful career for someone just starting their final year at Hogwarts. We all have high hopes for what the other famous Potter and Weasley children can achieve!). However, he was surprised when he opened the paper to see that the article was entirely dedicated to him!

 

‘Harry Potter’s Son a Traitor to His Family?’ the headline read. ‘A source from within Hogwarts School has confirmed the rumours recently swarming the Potter family. Albus Severus Potter, aged eleven and well-known son of the famous ‘boy who lived’ Harry Potter, started his first year at the prestigious school two months ago, but was he in for a shock when he arrived! Despite all of his family members being placed in the house Gryffindor, Albus was placed into Slytherin, the house most known for being associated with the dark arts and its students typically being ‘power hungry’. Potter’s most infamous adversary and most dangerous dark wizard ever known ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named’ came from Slytherin, as did his most loyal supporters, including that of Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco, whose son Scorpio Malfoy, also in Albus’ year, was too sorted into Slytherin.  
You can see our worry at Albus’ placement in the house. When Potter was at Hogwarts the alleged ‘Chamber of Secrets’ was apparently opened, causing the attacks of many students, and many believed Potter to be behind these attacks. There was also much concern towards Potter’s mental state in his fourth year after he was selected to take place in the Triwizard Tournament and his fifth after both him and the late Albus Dumbledore claimed the return of ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’. Even after the defeat of ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’, Potter attended many therapy sessions with many different psychiatrists, in order to cope with the trauma he had endured.  
There has always been concern towards Potter’s draw towards the dark arts, especially concerning his passion to become an auror. Many have feared what may happen if the ‘Chosen One’ were to turn his talents against us and rise to be the next ‘Dark Lord’. However, it seems that our concern should now be placed on Potter’s son. After all, who knows how one may turn out being raised around Potter’s wavering mental state and constant reminder as to what Potter had achieved working against the Dark Arts. Let’s just say our hopes are not high that Albus will be able to resist this apparent dark nature that has come to light inside of him, causing his placement within Slytherin. And as he grows through Hogwarts and is affiliated by Slytherin teachings, let’s hope the boy does not turn and destroy all his family has worked to create.'

 

Albus put down the paper and groaned into his hands, his fingers rubbing his temples.

“Scorpio?” Albus looked up to see Scorpius glaring at the paper with disgust on his face. Albus had never seen him look like that before, he very rarely had a negative expression on his face. It didn’t look good on him. “Sc- Scorpio Malfoy!?”

“Really?” Albus questioned. “That’s what you took from that? That they spelled your name wrong?”

“Hey, Al,” Scorpius defended himself. “I’m sorry that the world thinks you’re the next Voldemort, but at least you weren’t just named after a flipping star sign! Scorpio Malfoy,” he muttered.

Albus took a deep breath. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I know I’m not evil and I’m not going to start preaching the dark arts. Just like I know that your name isn’t Scorpio. They can theorise and make stuff up and attempt to bring me down as much as they want, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I know that I am just starting my life and this article is most definitely not the most important thing to worry about right now. I know who I am, and who I’m friends with. This article doesn’t matter. And being in Slytherin doesn’t matter either,” he finished his speech with a pronounce nod of the head.

“Wow,” muttered Zach.

Darren clapped a few times.

Scorpius smirked. “Let’s just hope James feels the same way!”

Sure enough, just after leaving the Great Hall, Albus is cornered by James.

“Did you see this,” James shoved his hand into Albus’ face, and, sure enough, he is holding a copy of that day’s Daily Prophet. 

“James, it’s ok…”

“Ok?! How can it possibly-,” James glanced over his shoulder to see Scorpius, Darren and Zach, all glaring at James.

“Move along!” he snapped at them. 

Darren and Zach scarpered, but Scorpius stayed where he was, eyes fixed on Albus. “Al…” 

“Go,” Albus muttered. “I’ll see you in Herbology.”

Scorpius bit his lip, but, hesitantly, left the hall and went out into the grounds.

“Al… have you seen this?” James was thrusting the article in his face again. Albus batted it out of the way in frustration.

“Yes, but James, it doesn’t matter! I don’t care what people think of me!”

“They’re calling you the next Dark Lord!”

“No, some washed up journalist trying to get a scoop from anything and thought ‘hmm, I wonder what the Potter kids are doing?’ called me the next Dark Lord. I mean, no one actually believes it!” Albus was trying to keep his voice calm.

However, it seemed that James didn’t have the same concern. “Al, it’s not just you! They’ve talked about Dad, questioned his mental state, that’s not ok!”

“He’s been dealing with this stuff since he was fourteen,” Albus said through gritted teeth. “He’ll be fine and so will I, so just back off alright?!

“I need to go, I’m gonna be late,” he huffed, wrenching himself from James’ grasp.

As he walked away, he heard James yell after him. “Al, just… just be careful.”

Albus turned to look over his shoulder. “I don’t trust him, Scorpius I mean,” James continued.

“You don’t even know him,” Albus called back, feeling a little sick. “You’ll never know him like I do…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the late chapter. Life and coursework happened...  
> Anyway, I'm planning on a big time jump for the next chapter (which is already written, so don't worry about any more late updates) but if you want to see more stuff from their first year at Hogwarts then you get leave suggestions and maybe I'll make a series out of it!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Four Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure Uncle Ron has almost passed at when the Weasleys came over for Christmas to find Scorpius sitting at the dining room table, but on the whole, everyone had gotten on genuinely well with Scorpius. The only time that there was ever really and issue was times like this when the great ‘Who is Albus Going to Sit With’ debacle was once again raised.

Four Years Later

Hogwarts Express- 9:13 am- 1st September 2020

“Oh come on Al-”

“No, James.”

“We never see you anymore…!”

“You saw me all through the summer Lily.”

“That’s not even true!” James persisted. “You spent half of August shut up in your room writing to your precious Scorpius.”

“Firstly,” Albus said, feeling a bit pissed off. “He’s not my Scorpius. Secondly, making fun of me does not make me want to sit with you, like, at all!”

It was Albus’ first day back at school. He was in his fourth year and so far his school life had been pretty decent. He was chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team, had only got a couple of detentions, was not hated by anyone and had successfully made friends. The only issue was the constant battle going on in his head of friends versus family. His family should of course be the outright winner, since they were his family and he loved them and all that, but all his life his only friends had been his family, and in others’ cases they still were. Rose and Dom, Hugo and Louis, James and Fred were all best friends with each other. Unfortunately, his black sheep side had decided to once again raise its ugly head, and here he was, four years later, still best friends with Scorpius Malfoy.

No one was particularly bothered by this. Sure Uncle Ron has almost passed at when the Weasleys came over for Christmas to find Scorpius sitting at the dining room table, but on the whole, everyone had gotten on genuinely well with Scorpius. The only time that there was ever really and issue was times like this when the great ‘Who is Albus Going to Sit With’ debacle was once again raised. 

For the past three years Albus had always sat with his siblings and cousins, so thought that it would not be completely unreasonable to want to sit with his friends in Slytherin for once.

So it made total sense when this had caused Albus, James and Lily to have a ‘heated discussion’, as his mum calls them, in the corridor of the train, which had gone on for over ten minutes now.

“Look we’re not going to get into this here,” Albus snapped. There were a lot of people who had their faces pressed against their compartment doors, in order to watch the Potter’s argue.

“Al…!”

“No, James. I’m going to sit with my friends and you’re going to sit with yours,” and with that Albus turned around and marched purposely back down the corridor. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to choose that moment to leave their compartments meaning he kept bumping into people, thereby ruining the ‘angry stalking away’ effect.

“Everything alright?” Scorpius asked, glancing up from his book, as Albus all but collapsed onto the seat across from him with a dramatic sigh.

“Yeah, it’s just…”

“… Family stuff,” Scorpius finished, raising his eyebrows. “You’ve got to stop acting like you have something to prove to them.”

“I know, I just…” Albus sighed and buried his face in his hands, running them through his hair. “I just feel like I’m letting them down.”

“We’ve been through this, Al,” Scorpius said, gently. “If they can’t accept that you’re not them, that you are your own person, then they’re the ones letting you down.”

“Urgh,” Albus groaned. “When did you get so philosophical Mr ‘I don’t do deep meaning stuff’.”

Scorpius chuckled. “Let’s just say that maybe the sorting hat had a point. But I’m serious Al… you deserve better than that.”

Albus sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

Scorpius studied him with suspicious look. “You don’t know, do you?”

“Nope, not at all,” said Albus bluntly, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.

He opened one eye as he heard the compartment door open and then close as Darren and Zach both filed into the compartment, followed closely by Johanna Zabini. He’s surprised to see Johanna for a second, before then he remembered that she’s probably trying to avoid another Slytherin girl in their year, Raven, after they had had a particularly entertaining and dramatic screaming match in the common room last year. The argument had lasted for what felt like an hour before it had turned violent and one of the prefects had been forced to get involved. Single-handedly, since everyone else was way too terrified to get in the middle of a Johnna-Raven fight. Rumours were that Raven had caught Johanna kissing her Ravenclaw boyfriend, the name of who Albus could not remember for the life of him, prompting their break-up. Johanna denied it and chaos quickly ensued. 

Johanna spent the last month of third year avoiding the rest of the Slytherin girls like that plague, and actually all of the girls in our year since she was apparently the ‘other woman’ in the whole debacle. Zach had been more than welcoming as Johanna slowly integrated herself into their friendship group, probably because he’s been harbouring a crush for her roughly the size of Pluto ever since first year. 

“Hey, guys,” she greeted them with a small wave, before sitting down.

“How was your summer?” Albus’ general tactic when it comes to socialisation is to keep everything to basic small talk.

“It was ok. You?”

“Yeah, alright.” Albus was starting to realise that this tactic tended to cause dead-end conversations.

Scorpius put down his book and looked at her seriously. “Jo, have you talked to Raven yet?”

She sighed, looking frustrated. “I wrote to her a bunch of times, but I never got anything back.”

“Well, sometimes that just can’t be helped,” Zach said with an exaggerated sigh. “But, just so you know, you’ll always be able to come to me for help.” Zach smiled coyly at her and Albus rolled his eyes at his attempt to ‘woo’ her. 

“She can’t ignore you forever, Jo,” Scorpius pressed. “She’s one of your best friends and you shouldn’t let her throw that away over one measly kiss.”

She sighed and flipped her long, black hair over one of her shoulders, leaning back in her seat. “I didn’t even want to kiss him. He asked me to meet him behind the greenhouses to talk and it just… happened.”

“You know, you could’ve just, like, not kissed him,” Darren interjected, impatiently.

She glared at him. “Well, obviously. But I just got caught up in the moment, and, I don’t know…” she trailed off, biting one of her nails. She actually looked a little ashamed of herself. “I didn’t want to hurt her. I don’t want anything to do with him, and even if we hadn’t kissed I would have told her he was into me, and they probably would’ve broken up anyway. He’s the bad guy here.”

“You have to tell Raven this,” Scorpius told her. “Now. Get it out of the way before the year starts.”

Johanna sighed and stood up, nodding. “You’re right. If I don’t do it now, then it’ll just make everything awkward for the rest of the year.” She turned and flashed Scorpius a smile. “Thanks Scorp.”

“No problem,” Scorpius had already picked his book back up.

After she’d left, Darren gave a groan of exhaustion and started to massage his eyes with his hands. “Thank God, I thought we’d never get rid of her.”

“We weren’t trying to get rid of her,” Zach said affronted.

“Yes we were,” Scorpius said, not looking up. “And please stop trying to hit on her, it’s embarrassing.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you practically have girls throwing themselves at you,” Zach pointed out.

“I got asked out twice, that does not count as them ‘throwing themselves at me’.”

“I reckon it’s because he so charming,” Darren suggested, ignoring him. “He’s good with advice and quick to compliment.”

“It’s called being polite and generally not a complete dick. Maybe you two should try it sometime,” Scorpius muttered, glaring at them from over the top of his book.

Albus simply grinned and shut his eyes again, listening to the three talk and enjoying the sound of the train, and it sped through the countryside.


	5. Chapter Five

Slytherin Fourth Year Boys’ Dorm- 2:46 am- 21st September 2020

“Al, wake up.”

“Nooo…”

“C’mon Al. I need to show you something!”

Albus felt someone shaking his shoulder. “Just five more minutes…” he mumbled, burrowing further into his pillow. Suddenly he felt a jet of cold water hit his face.

He made a gasping spitting noise, and jerked upright in reflex, effectively punching Scorpius in the jaw. 

“Ow!”

“Oh, shit,” Albus quickly grabbed Scorpius’ shoulder and rose onto his knees, pulling Scorpius towards him to inspect the damage. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” he muttered rubbing his jaw. “You can really throw a punch, Al! Even subconsciously.”

“Sorry,” Albus added, wiping water out of his eyes. “But you shouldn’t lean over people and not expect them to react.”

“I know… I know. But, look, come on. I have to show you this!”

“Scorp, it’s two o’clock in the morning!”

“Yes, but this is really important!”

“Can’t it wait ‘till-”

“No.”

“What if we get-”

“We can’t risk anyone following us, Al.”

“Scorpius Malfoy, I swear to God!”

“Please, Al?”

Albus groaned and ran a hand through his hair, yawning. Merlin, he was tired, but Scorpius was looking at him with that damn face.

“If we get caught then we’re saying you put me under the imperius curse,” he bargained, climbing out of bed.

“Done,” Scorpius said, grinning wildly. “We won’t get caught. I doubt anyone even knows about it.”

“About what?”

“All will be revealed, Alby.”

“What did you just call me?!”

Scorpius just laughed and grabbed Albus’ arm, pulling him through the door.

***

“My feet are freezing.”

“Will you stop moaning?”

“I’m part Weasley, it’s in my genes to moan.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes at him. They’d been walking for nearly an hour and they just seemed to be going deeper and deeper into the castle.

“Well, we’re almost there now.”

A couple of moments passes.

“Where are we going?!” Albus moaned.

“Will you keep your voice down?” Scorpius snapped.

“We wouldn’t have to be so careful if we just did this during the day!”

“C’mon Al, you’re a Potter! Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“In the Gryffindor genes that I apparently didn’t inherit. No, instead I got moaning and stupid hair!” Albus snarled.

Scorpius turned and looked at him, confused. “What’s wrong with your hair?”

Albus raised his eyebrows. “It’s just that… it’s scruffy.”

Scorpius snorted.

“It is!” Albus persisted. “It sticks up at the back, and never lies flat-“

“Your brother’s is worse,” Scorpius pointed out.

“He messes it up deliberately; he thinks it looks cool. At least he can get a comb through it without breaking most of the teeth!”

“Just put an unbreakable charm on it,” Scorpius suggested, grinning.

“That is not the point, and you know it!”

Silence.

“Where are we going?!”

“I will kill you, Al, seriously! Can’t you be patient for just one minute?!”

“I’ve been patient for over an hour!”

“Yes, and you’ve complained the entire time! And I do not care if it is ‘in your genes’!”

They remained quiet for about ten more minutes, before they finally reached… a dead end.

“We’re here,” Scorpius grinned, looking delighted. Albus looked at the seemingly harmless stone wall, then at Scorpius, then the wall and then back to Scorpius.

“Well, it’s wonderful, and now I’m going five miles back to bed.” Scorpius grabbed Albus’ shoulder and yanked him back towards the wall.

“Oh, come on, this isn’t it yet!”

“I swear to Merlin, Scorpius, this better be worth my time or-“

“It will be now I need your help.”

Scorpius walked toward the wall and put his hands into the corner of it and started to pull it. He used his head to gesture to Albus, who sighed at walked forward to help. With the combined effort of the two, Albus could start to feel the wall slide back. He threw his weight against it. There was a large clanking sound as the wall just… slid away. Behind it was another corridor, which seemed to lead into a large open room. Albus could hear the faint sounds of splashing.

Scorpius grinned, looking thrilled, before grabbing Albus by the hand and tugging him down the corridor. In the room there was… a rock pool.   
About twenty five metres in length and width and made up of smooth, dark grey rock. The water within seemed clean, but it gave off an unnatural turquoise glow.

“Is this, is this a…” Albus stuttered.

“Yup!” Scorpius grinned, looking extremely proud of himself. “This, Al, is the Famous Hogwarts Hidden Swimming Pool!”

Albus turned to look at him in disbelief. “What do you mean ‘famous’? I’ve never even heard of it! And are we sure that this is even for swimming?”

To answer, Scorpius simply pointed to a sign bolted to the wall next to them. It read ‘The Famous Hogwarts Hidden Swimming Pool’.

“Oh.” Albus also saw below the sign were the words NO RUNNING and NO EATING and NO MAGIC TOMFOOLERY. There was also the distinct smell of chlorine in the air.

“Look.” Scorpius was pointing to the spot next to the sign. Albus walked closer, to see that people had carved their names into the rock.

“Some of these look really old,” Albus muttered, sliding his fingers into the grooves and scratches. “I don’t think this is even on the Marauder’s Map, or their names would be on here. There can’t be more than twenty on here.”

“You mean that map of your brother’s? The one with Hogwarts and all the people on it?”

“Yeah… hang on! How do you know about the map!?”

“Remember, second year, you stole it from him?” Scorpius reminded him.

“Oh yeah, stole it back in the next forty eight hours, the bastard…” Albus muttered to himself. Then he turned back to Scorpius to see him pulling his shirt over his head.

“Wait, what are you doing!?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? We are going swimming Al,” Scorpius looked more excited than he did the first time they’d entered Honeydukes.

“We?” 

“Yep, c’mon Al, turn around and take off your clothes.”

“What? No! Scorp, I don’t even have-” A pair of swimming trunks suddenly smacked into his face. “Where did you even get these?”

“Brought them from home,” Scorpius explained. “I’ve been trying to find this place for a while.”

“Look, Scorp, this is cool and all, really, but it’s September and it’s night and it’s cold…” Scorpius threw him the look of a kicked puppy. Albus groaned, and Scorpius grinned again, knowing he’d won.

Ten minutes later Albus was standing at the water’s edge, cautiously dipping his toe into the water. 

“I don’t know about this Scorp, it’s cold, and I’m really- AHH!” Scorpius had charged into him, flinging both of them into the pool at the same time.   
Albus’ head came back up to the surface, and he gasped and coughed to get the water out of his lungs.

“Not cool, Scorp! I mean-“ Then he takes one look at Scorpius’ face and starts laughing, as the splash bits of water in each other’s faces, while gasping for breath and trying to keep afloat. 

The laughter died from Albus’ mouth as he stopped to look at Scorpius, who was now slightly breathless from the laughing and the effort of treading water. He caught his eye. “Al?”

They were very close now, Albus realised. He could feel Scorpius’ breath on his nose, each ripple in the water he was making colliding with Albus’ skin. There were water droplets framing his face, clinging to his hair, before falling in the water. There was one slowly making its way down Scorpius’ nose, and Albus impulsively reached up and smoothed it away with his thumb. His skin felt warm and he was slightly flushed from the contact.

“Al.” Scorpius’ voice came out as a croak.

He looked scared, which unsettled Albus. They were both panting slightly now from the strain of keeping above the water.

“Do you remember last year when Zach dragged us around Hogsmeade to follow-?”

“Stalk.”

Scorpius grinned. “Stalk Johanna. It was snowing a lot and Darren asked him what the deal was with Jo. And Zach started going on like a poet about her. It was snowing so much and was landing in your hair and stuff and then… then a snowflake landed on your nose and…”

“…and you reached up and wiped it away,” Albus finished, never once breaking eye contact with Scorpius and grinning slightly. It was typical Scorpius to try and talk his way out of any situation.

“Right and then, I dunno, Zach said something about Jo being so gorgeous and asked us if we saw what he talking about. And you just shrugged, like you do…”

“Oy!” Albus sent some water flying at his face. 

Scorpius gave him a bitch face before continuing. “And I said ‘yeah, stunning’…” he trailed off again.

“Scorpius?” Scorpius had brown eyes, Albus realised. They were… nice. Warm. Everything was so warm.

“I wasn’t talking about Johanna.”

There were a few moments of silence. The water was so cold. But Albus felt so warm. And happy. And carefree. 

Albus was always so cold. But Scorpius made his so warm. 

Scorpius was his warmth.


End file.
